John Calvin

Have you ever heard the story of the old preacher who stood in his pulpit and explained the doctrine of election? With great excitement, he said pointing down to the floorboards at his left, "Election is when Satan casts a vote for your soul!" And then, pointing to the ceiling to his right, he...

As a A.C.B.C. certified counselor and ordained pastor, I have the privilege of helping at the Biblical Counseling Institute associated with the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. [1] I value an educated pastorate and stress the importance of systematic theology and...

The doctrine of election should be a most humbling doctrine. It means that God chooses for salvation before the foundations of the world a people unto Himself to receive that salvation. The basis for election is “unconditional”. In other words, God does not look ahead and take into account what...

The Apostle Paul in Romans 9 addresses God’s sovereignty and uses the illustration of the potter and the clay. The potter, of course, creates out of his pile of clay whatever he or she desires. The clay has no say in the matter. Paul reaches a climax with these words in verse 18: “So then he has...

This week on Theology on the Go, our host, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Tony Merida. Dr. Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C. He also serves as Associate Professor of Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Among his many books are...

What is the “total” in “total depravity”? When we speak of total depravity, we do not mean that every person is as quantitatively bad as they could possibly be. We do not mean that every person has committed every possible sin or that every person does all the heinousness of a Stalin or Hitler. We...

Ask someone if they know about Calvinism and most likely they’ll bring up TULIP, a helpful acrostic that stands for the doctrines of Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints. However, some Christians chafe at the doctrines that...

T he winner of Theodore Beza's A Clear and Simple Treatise on the Lord's Supper is Ike H. of Ronceverte, WV. Congrats! And now our next giveaway comes from our friends at Crossway, who have given us one (1) copy of To the Ends of the Earth: Calvin's Missional Legacy and Legacy by Michael A.G...

An overview of the Trinity ought to include a variety of elements. The synopsis might begin with a statement concerning God's incomprehensibility and our creaturely need for revelation. It ought to cover the doctrine of divine simplicity. God's triunity should also be part of that discussion. And...